The thalassemia syndromes, a group of inherited anemias of humans, provide an excellent model for the study of genetic disease. In many laboratories around the world, these disorders are being extensively investigated at the molecular, genetic cellular and clinical levels. Homozygous thalassemia (Cooley's anemia) is a significant health problem in many countries in the Mediterranean basin and Middle East including Greece, Italy and Israel. Thalassemia is more prevalent in Asiatic countries, and provides another group of disorders of major interest for study. Many investigators in the U.S., Europe and Asia have contributed to recent advances in detailed information on the genetic defect in these disorders. This has lead to new insights into the pathophysiology of these disorders, as well as to extremely relevant clinical findings that have resulted in improved antenatal diagnosis of these syndromes. In addition, this information has led to possible new approaches to therapy of these disorders. Bone marrow transplantation and the use of iron chelating agents as well as newer approaches to blood transfusions have also been employed in thalassemia during the past several years, and these approaches are being evaluated intensively for their possible effect on morbidity and mortality of thalassemia. This projected conference is the focus of the sharing of information by investigators in thalassemia at the basic science and clinical levels. The need for workers in this field from many countries to share their date and communicate directly with each other is obvious. It is hoped that these intensive interactions provided by this conference will provide the impetus for accelerated improvement in the diagnosis and treatment of these now fatal conditions.